Time Passages
by Thanos6
Summary: Mirai Trunks returns to the "normal" timeline once and for all...but two other reality travellers arrive as well...The second installment of the "Royalty Series!"
1. Flashbacks And Filial Relations...

Time Passages  
  
by Thanos6  
  
Hey, nice to see ya! I'm Thanos6 and this is "Time Passages," the second in my 'Royalty' series of DBZ humor fanfics. This story takes place right after the first in the series, "Saiyans on the Road." If you want to really understand this story, it really helps to have read that first. Just like the first one, this story will be told mainly from Vegeta's point of view. Enjoy!  
  
***  
  
Capsule Corporation.  
  
The new King of the Saiyans stirred in his bed as he felt the new Queen rise and get up. Vegeta opened his eyes just in time to see Bulma leave the room.  
  
He knew it would be a few minutes before breakfast would be ready, so he remained in bed, remembering last night. He had returned from a road trip with Kakarot and the newly revived Bardock, Nappa, and Raditz. Once he had gotten home, he had found that Bulma had used the Dragonballs to wish herself into a level 3 Super Saiyan, the same level as he was. She had also wished for Vegeta's father, the previous King, to be revived for just long enough to pass on the title. Then they had had quite the night before falling asleep from sheer exhaustion.  
  
As he lay there, his thoughts continued to drift. Believe it or not, Raditz had actually picked up a semi-girlfriend, a woman named Iroke. She had moved in; her belongings would arrive in a day or so.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAA!"  
  
And that would be Nappa, finding that his mustache had disappeared overnight. He had no idea, but Vegeta's son Trunks and his best friend Goten had removed it in the night. They had each been paid 100 zeni by Vegeta to do it; hopefully it would put him in his place.  
  
By now breakfast would normally be ready, but Bulma was cooking for a lot more people than usual. There was herself, Vegeta, Trunks, her parents, Raditz, Nappa, and Iroke.  
  
Oh yes...and Yamcha, his girlfriend Maron--who had once dated Kuririn--and Yamcha's shapeshifting cat, Pu'ar. They had also moved in when their house was paved over for a strip mall. Eleven people in all.  
  
He could wait a few more minutes, then.  
  
***  
  
Less than a heartbeat, and yet more than an infinity away...  
  
A purple-haired young man knelt, his head bowed in respect.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mother. But I know you wouldn't want me to stay here, not when there is nothing left for me. I'll see you again someday. I love you."  
  
Wiping a tear away, the young warrior rose to his feet. A few strides brought him to a large yellow machine. He climbed into it. He turned a few knobs and pushed a few buttons on the control panel.  
  
He gave one last wave to nothing and everything, then he and the machine simply vanished.  
  
***  
  
Everyone had gathered around the table for breakfast. Nappa looked very, very pissed off about his mustache, and Trunks had given his father a wink. These days, Raditz and Iroke seemed to only have eyes for one another; Vegeta, however, suspected that each had different reasons from the other.  
  
Yamcha and Maron were also getting along pretty well. The fact that Maron looked more than a bit like Bulma probably had something to do with this, but Vegeta didn't care. As long as Yamcha stayed away from the real Bulma, he could date whomever he wished. Pu'ar just seemed to be happy that Yamcha had a steady relationship again.  
  
Dr. and Mrs. Briefs hardly seemed fazed at all by the new arrivals; but then, after all that had happened to them over the years, Vegeta supposed it would take a lot to faze them.  
  
There was a loud boom from the direction of the front door. Everyone got up and began to walk that way to investigate.  
  
"It had better be something important to interrupt me during breakfast," Vegeta muttered.  
  
As they reached the door, there was a knock on it. Not knowing who it was, Vegeta motioned for the others to stay back a few steps. He opened the door.  
  
There was a long pause while he and the figure waiting at the door simply stared at one another for a long moment. Then--  
  
"It's Trunks!"  
  
"What? What are you talking about?" said his son.  
  
"No, not you, the OTHER Trunks!"  
  
Indeed, the one who had knocked was Mirai Trunks, an older version of Vegeta and Bulma's son who hailed from an alternate, desolate future.  
  
"Hello, Father."  
  
"Don't just stand there, invite him in!" Bulma called back at him.  
  
Trunks blinked. Was that his mother? True, he had been wished to this timeline a couple of years ago by his younger self, but he hadn't done much else than spar with him, and he hadn't even seen any of the others. If his parents were still together, that was one sign that this timeline had turned out much brighter than his own.  
  
Vegeta grunted, and nodded for him to come on in.  
  
Sure enough, there was his mother. Something looked different about her, he'd have to find out what. There was his younger counterpart. There were his grandparents; he recognized them from pictures.  
  
He was less surprised when he met Nappa and Raditz; reviving the dead seemed a small feat compared to his parents staying together.  
  
Bulma was about to start mentioning the previous night, when Vegeta silenced her.  
  
"I was planning to head over to Kakarot's to tell him everything anyway. We might as well go there now so we won't have to keep repeating things." He chuckled. "I can't wait to see the look on his face." 


	2. Misery And Merriment...

"KAKAROT!"  
  
Vegeta, Bulma, and both versions of Trunks had flown over to Kakarot's house, and now Vegeta was yelling for him to come out.  
  
Kakarot stuck his head outside the window. "Whatcha want, Vegeta?"  
  
"Come outside. I have some things to show you." He smirked, and carefully hid Mirai Trunks from sight. He wanted to unleash all the surprises on him at once.  
  
It wasn't long before Kakarot emerged. He blinked a few times when he saw Mirai Trunks.  
  
"Trunks, you're back! Uh, I mean...um..."  
  
Trunks grinned for a moment. "Just call me Mirai. Less confusion that way."  
  
"Ok...but why have you come back here?"  
  
"I'll tell you in a little bit. Apparently my father has a few things he wants to tell you, and I know better than to interrupt him."  
  
Vegeta growled at him, then turned to Kakarot. "Did your mate or Goten tell you anything about who won the Dragonball competition?"  
  
He shook his head. "Nope. I just got in, ate some supper, and then went to bed. I was pretty tired."  
  
Vegeta smirked. "Excellent. Bulma, show him what you can do."  
  
In five seconds, she had gone Super Saiyan 3, to both Kakarot's and Mirai's extreme shock.  
  
"BULMA! Wow! Then this means...this means..."  
  
"Yes, Kakarot?" asked Vegeta smugly.  
  
"It means you've been a Saiyan all these years! What a coincidence, huh?"  
  
"Baka! No, it means she used the Dragonballs to wish herself to be one!"  
  
"Ohh...how come?"  
  
Vegeta stayed silent. No way in hell would he say the reason in front of Kakarot, much less with his son and, um, his son around. Instead, he moved on to the next topic.  
  
"Kakarot, I have something to tell you. I am no longer your prince."  
  
Both Trunks's almost choked. Had he just said what they thought he said?  
  
"I am your KING!" he yelled, also going Super Saiyan 3.  
  
The Trunks's blinked. Either their father's ego had reached new heights, or he had something to tell them. And tell them he did, although he did have to tell the story a few times before Kakarot understood.  
  
"So you're finally king, eh? Congratulations. Well, I'll see you around. Breakfast is almost ready."  
  
And with that, Kakarot went back in his house. The others had to restrain Vegeta from charging off after him.  
  
"How dare he! How dare that low-class worthless fool turn his back on royalty?!"  
  
"Calm down!" said Bulma. "I swear, we have got to get you on some kind of medication."  
  
***  
  
Back at Capsule Corporation...  
  
"So, Mirai, just what brought you back to this reality, anyway?" asked Bulma.  
  
His face went dark. "I thought that by destroying the Androids and Cell I had ensured the safety of my world. But I was wrong. Two horrible creatures came to Earth, going by the names of Babidi and Darbura--"  
  
He stopped short at the looks on the other three's faces. "What?"  
  
They filled him in on the story of how the two he had named had come three years ago and had revived the evil demon Buu. Billions had died before Babidi, Darbura, and Buu were destroyed.  
  
"I see. It was much the same here. In the years that passed before they had come, I had trained enough to defeat them before they could resurrect Buu, luckily. But before I could kill them, they had killed everyone else on the planet--even you, mom." His eyes began to water.  
  
He didn't need to say anymore. With Piccolo and Kami both dead, and no spaceships to take him to Namek, Mirai had no chance of reviving anyone with the Dragonballs.  
  
He found his voice again. "After that, there was simply nothing left for me. So I rigged up the time machine for one last trip to take me here. And I mean last trip...the flux-capacitor short-circuited when I landed and I have no idea how to fix it. But I wouldn't want to anyway."  
  
Bulma opened her mouth to say that she could probably fix it, and then closed it. Better that he thought he could never return, in case the temptation to return to that empty world should ever overtake him.  
  
***  
  
Trunks quickly spread the word to everyone, and before long Capsule Corporation was playing host to a "Welcome Back Mirai" party.  
  
"You're kidding!" Mirai was talking to Kuririn. "You actually married Juuhachigou?"  
  
Kuririn blushed. "Well, yeah...you know, she's not at all like the Eighteen you fought. We even have a daughter."  
  
Mirai gaped.  
  
***  
  
"Any idea what he'll do?" asked Chi-Chi.  
  
"Probably stay here," replied Bulma. "It's not like he has anywhere to go."  
  
"The poor boy."  
  
***  
  
Trunks was trying to explain to Goten exactly how alternate timelines worked; being the son of Bulma, it was--to use a rather tired cliché--child's play. But Goten being Goten, he just couldn't quite get it. Finally, Trunks threw up his ends.  
  
"He's like a grown up me, just not."  
  
"OK, I got it."  
  
***  
  
Raditz, Nappa, and Iroke were off in a corner.  
  
"Great. Not only did we have to put up with Pri--KING Vegeta's son, but now we have to handle another one of them!" groused Nappa.  
  
"He's not nearly as bad as the other one. He doesn't seem the type to tie people's tails together. And he seems like a real warrior," said Raditz. His surprisingly easygoing attitude may have had something to do with the way Iroke was hanging all over him. 


	3. Duplicates And Donations...

That night.  
  
Everyone had gone home. Mirai had taken his few belongings and moved into his new room at Capsule Corporation. Now he was lying back on his bed, staring at the ceiling, pondering what he would do now.  
  
He was interrupted in his musings by loud shouts and the sounds of fighting outside his door. He craned his neck to look.  
  
A moment later, his door burst open as Trunks and Goten rolled through, wrestling. They looked up and stopped.  
  
"Sorry, Mirai-san," they chanted in unison.  
  
He laughed. "It's OK. It's been too long since I've seen *happy* people."  
  
"Mom says your life was pretty sucky," said his younger counterpart, using the subtlety for which he was famed.  
  
"It certainly wasn't a walk in the park," Mirai agreed. "You don't know how good you've got it."  
  
"Oh, I dunno. I think I do know how good this is. I remember what it was like when Mom and Dad were both dead, I remember how I felt. What about you, Goten?"  
  
Goten nodded. "Mm-hmm. There was a point when Dad was gone and Mom had been killed and everyone thought big brother Gohan was dead too. I don't wanna feel like that ever again. So yeah, I know we got it pretty good. Of course, you've always had it bad, I guess it isn't quite the same."  
  
Mirai blinked. For two kids who weren't even teenagers, they had amazing insight.  
  
"One of the things I most envy about you--"and here he pointed to Trunks--"is that you know that your father cares about you. I didn't know mine at all."  
  
"Oh, I dunno about that. You should watch some of the training exercises he puts me through, then you might change your mind."  
  
Mirai chuckled. "I see that he hasn't changed that much."  
  
"Hey, now that's cool!"  
  
Goten had just spotted Mirai's sword hanging on the wall, still chipped where he had unsuccessfully tried to carve up the Androids. Now he had taken it off the wall and was tossing it up and down.  
  
"Hey! Don't do that, that thing's sharp! Give me that!" Mirai tried to grab the sword, but Goten ducked out of reach and threw the sword over to Mirai's head to Trunks.  
  
"Ack! If you cut yourself and Father finds out--!"  
  
What ensued was a frantic game of "keepaway." Mirai started off angry with the two boys, but it wasn't long before the sheer ridiculousness of the situation got through to him and he began to laugh. Goten and Trunks joined in soon after.  
  
Once they regained their composure, Mirai glanced at the clock. It read 1:30 AM.  
  
"Ok guys, bedtime. Run along."  
  
Trunks was shaking his head nervously. "Uh-uh. No way in hell am I going to my room now."  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"Because...it's after midnight. To get to my room I have to go by Mom and Dad's room. And after midnight, Mom and Dad are busy."  
  
Mirai blushed a deep scarlet. And this was *him* casually talking about that? He supposed it must be his father's influence.  
  
"Erk. Yeah, I can see how that could be a problem. Well then, I guess you'll just have to sleep in here. But first...put the sword back up."  
  
***  
  
The next morning, Bulma dropped by to make sure everything was OK with Mirai. She knocked, and after no one answered, she opened the door and went on in.  
  
She discovered that apparently both Trunks's had at least one thing in common--it was impossible for either of them to sleep normally. The both of them and Goten were sprawled all over the bed.  
  
Bulma ran back, grabbed a camera, and took a picture. It was too cute to pass up.  
  
Plus it would provide good blackmail material in the future, if need be.  
  
***  
  
That day, Bulma sat Mirai down and explained all the legal hassles they would have to go through regarding him.  
  
"Ok," said Bulma. "What do you want your name to be? We can't have two Trunks Briefs that look the same, that'd be a bit suspicious. So--what do you want your legal name to be?"  
  
He shrugged.  
  
"Mirai Briefs, I guess. I don't really care."  
  
She nodded. "Hmm...you'll need a middle name."  
  
"Like I said, I don't really care. We didn't have much use for formalities back where I come from. Just make something up. Use the first name that comes to mind."  
  
"Ok...now you're Mirai Marty Briefs." She scribbled the name down on a form.  
  
"Marty? Where did that come from?"  
  
"I dunno. It just seems right."  
  
"Well...what's my cover story going to be? Who will I 'be?'"  
  
Bulma waved a hand dismissively.  
  
"I'll just make sure this form goes through no questions asked. And three million zeni can buy a lot of no questions."  
  
"Three million zeni?"  
  
"Yeah. That's how much the chief of police wants from the government to upgrade the force. I'm willing to bet that a donation from Capsule Corp. would persuade him to turn a blind eye." 


	4. Majesties And Migraines...

Vegeta lay back on his bed, thinking; it was a trait that ran in the family.  
  
Normally at this time of day, he'd be training in the gravity chamber in order to beat Kakarot. But if what he thought was true was indeed the truth...then he was already stronger than Kakarot.  
  
Back when he was a planet-clearer for Freeza, he had occasionally had some spare time in-between missions. He had spent much of this time researching everything he could find on the Saiyan race.  
  
One thing he had found was an ancient document, detailing the legend of the Saiyan kings. According to the document, Saiyan kings had special mystical powers, the foremost of which was the ability to draw upon the power of all Saiyans and add it to his own. This had been an important trait in the race's first few years of existence, but as the Saiyans eventually became one of the dominant races of the cosmos, it was utilized less and less, until even the kings themselves had forgotten about it.  
  
Of course, Vegeta had had no way of knowing if this was true or not; his father had died before passing on the title. But now, he could find out.  
  
He got off the bed and began to power up.  
  
***  
  
Bulma was still working on the form, asking Mirai some questions now and then.  
  
She blinked.  
  
"All this legalese is giving me a headache," she muttered, rubbing her temples.  
  
"Me too," said Mirai.  
  
***  
  
Goten and Trunks were sparring in mid-air.  
  
"Ow!" Goten shouted, clutching his forehead. "You didn't have to hit me that hard!"  
  
"What are you talking about? You're the one that hit me too hard. My head's hurting."  
  
***  
  
Kakarot had screwed up again somehow, and was currently being yelled at by Chi-Chi while she smacked him with the frying pan.  
  
"Have you been working out?" he asked when she stopped. "That made my head hurt."  
  
***  
  
Gohan was writing up his latest lecture. He had just reached the fourth page, when his head began to throb.  
  
"Uggh. Break time."  
  
Videl looked up at him. "Break time? Are you kidding, you look horrible! Go lie down, I'll get you some aspirin."  
  
***  
  
Nappa was raiding the giant fridge at Capsule Corp.  
  
"I'd better hurry up and get something," he said to himself. "This cold is starting to make my head hurt."  
  
***  
  
In their bedroom, Iroke was trying to take off Raditz's vest.  
  
"Not now," Raditz said. "I have a headache."  
  
***  
  
Bardock lay in the fields behind Kakarot's house, waiting for Goten to return so he could spar with him.  
  
"Damn it all, the kid's late and now my head is aching. I must have looked at the sun too much."  
  
***  
  
For a moment, Vegeta felt as he had when he had first become a Majin, being overwhelmed by a sudden influx of power.  
  
Gasping for breath, he released his control over the others' powers.  
  
*Oh yes...Kakarot, now you are mine.*  
  
***  
  
Getting his breath back, he walked out to the main portion of Capsule Corp. to gloat a bit before going to beat the living hell out of Kakarot. He stopped when he saw Bulma and Mirai massaging their heads.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"All this legal work has made our heads hurt," was Bulma's response.  
  
Vegeta frowned. So there was a downside...  
  
*Damnation! I can't fight Kakarot like this...he would have a headache too, and my victory would be unfairly gained...count your blessings, Kakarot...looks like I'll have to be doing this the old-fashioned way after all. First thing tomorrow, it's back in the gravity chamber.* 


	5. Cabbages And Kings...

Vegeta thought it best not to let anyone know about his kingly ability. For one thing, that might make Piccolo and a few of the human fighters a bit nervous about his power; for another, Bulma would kill him if she found out he had given her a migraine.  
  
To make up for his unwillingness to use his royal inheritance, he had increased his training regimen to insane levels. He *would* defeat Kakarot soon. He would show him the power of true Saiyan royalty.  
  
***  
  
Bulma watched him, a bit nervously, through the window into the gravity chamber. True, in the few days since she had become a Saiyan, she realized she herself had gotten a bit of an urge to fight, but she thought Vegeta was going a bit far. Even further than normal. Which was very far indeed.  
  
"I think it has something to do with him being King."  
  
Bulma jumped. Mirai was standing right behind her.  
  
"Sorry about that."  
  
"That's OK. But how did you know what I was thinking about?"  
  
"Well, I noticed he's been pushing himself even more than usual lately. Then I see you looking in on him with a worried expression. Doesn't take a temporal physicist to figure things out," he said, smiling.  
  
She gave a short laugh. "You have a point. I think that now that he's King, he *really* thinks he has a duty to beat Goku. Like all the previous kings' pride and honor is riding on him."  
  
Mirai nodded. The two of them stood there in silence for a second, watching Vegeta. Then he looked up and noticed them.  
  
"Well, kid? Think you can take it? Come on in."  
  
Mirai opened the large door and walked in, struggling under the intense gravity. Bulma, driven partially by her new Saiyan urges, partially by curiosity, tried to follow, but Vegeta stopped her.  
  
"Don't."  
  
"Why not?" she said, a bit affronted. "I can go Super Saiyan--"  
  
"Super Saiyan 3, I know. But gravity training puts pressure on more than just the body. If you want to do this, fine, but we'll have to start you off at a lower level of gravity."  
  
He moved in close and whispered. "And besides...we don't want anything to happen to you, any accidents or anything. We've got to have at least one more offspring. Keep the race going."  
  
While she was still standing there in a bit of a shock, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "We can work out the details later. Now go and start dinner."  
  
***  
  
Bulma was slicing cabbages; she had to be very gentle nowadays. Too much force and she could very easily send the knife slicing through the counter.  
  
She was mulling over what her husband had said. *Gravity training puts pressure on more than just the body? What does he mean by that?*  
  
She shook her head. She could figure it out later. But one thing wasn't in dispute. Now that she was a Saiyan as well, he wanted to have at least one more kid, and from the sound of it more than that.  
  
She wouldn't mind another one herself, to tell the truth, but just how many would he want? She hoped he wasn't reverting to his old self again.  
  
"Of course not, you silly onna."  
  
She spun on her heel. Vegeta was leaning in the doorway, smirking, towel draped around his neck.  
  
"I don't believe this. Can *everyone* read my mind?"  
  
"In this case, yes and no. Don't you remember our bond? It used to just be one way...you could sense me, but not I you. Well, now that you're a full Saiyan, the bond has been completed. I can sense you now, and we can also sense very strong feelings from one another. I can't read your mind in that I can repeat your exact thoughts back to you, but I was able to get the gist of what you were thinking. And I'm not going back to the way I used to be."  
  
"Thank the heavens for that." She thought for a moment. "Should we tell Gohan and Videl about this?"  
  
He snickered. "They already know of the bond, sort of. Remember when Buu nearly killed him? You told me, later, that she had a feeling...nothing more...that he was still alive. That was their bond in action, even though they had known each other for only a few days."  
  
"Amazing. Love works in funny ways."  
  
"If you say so." She shot him a glare. 


	6. Clones And Constraints...

The next afternoon.  
  
No one had seen Bulma the entire day; she had holed up inside her lab.  
  
Inspired by Mirai's return, she was researching parallel timelines, alternate realities, and the like. She was currently hunched over several pieces of paper, scribbling furiously and muttering to herself.  
  
"...Now, according to the Stromberg equation, I should be able to get this result, but that puts it at direct odds with the Vaughn theorem, but if I combine both of those with the Brown hypothesis, it should work..."  
  
Skritch. Skritch. Her pencil flew across the sheets of paper. It had been a while since she had been this involved in a project.  
  
The areas she was dabbling in now were probably outside of the realm of everyone else in the world, with the possible exceptions of her father, her sons, and Gohan. But it was doubtful that even any of them could do all she was doing.  
  
Skritch. Skritch. Knock. Knock.  
  
Bulma frowned, mid-calculation. Pencils didn't normally do that.  
  
She swiveled her chair around and looked at the door to the lab. Through the viewport, she could see Trunks waving at her. She walked over to the door and unlocked and opened it.  
  
"What is it, honey?"  
  
"Could you fix us some lunch?"  
  
"Isn't it a bit early for l--" She cut off her statement as her eye caught a clock. It read 1:30 PM. She blinked. That meant she had been working for about six hours or so. Yet it had only seemed like a few minutes.  
  
"Sure. I'll be right there." As Trunks ran merrily in the direction of the kitchen, she smiled. It was just like the good ol' days, when she would stay up entire nights inventing things and not realize it until the sun rose in her eyes.  
  
***  
  
"Just what the hell are you doing in there, anyway, woman?" Vegeta asked, as he started on his fourth ham sandwich.  
  
"Some stuff involving alternate dimensions."  
  
He grunted.  
  
***  
  
After lunch, Bulma went right back to lunch. She worked the rest of the night with only one small break for supper.  
  
She had finished all of her calculating, and had now moved onto construction. She was building a dimensional hyperbelator, to allow her to view other timelines, such as Mirai's. It would allow her to see how things would have developed if certain events had happened in different ways.  
  
"Of course, it does make me feel a bit like a cosmic voyeur," she muttered to herself.  
  
***  
  
She finally finished the dimensional hyperbelator around 3:30 in the morning. She supposed she should get some sleep, but she was too eager to test it out to wait until daylight.  
  
She pushed the power button. She rubbed her hands gleefully as the huge monitor activated.  
  
"Now, if everything works right, it should home in on a random timeline out of infinite," she said, as if there was an audience, "and allow me to view all the events in that entire universe, past, present, and future."  
  
The monitor began to display a scene from one timeline. It took place on a planet that was unknown to Bulma, but it looked devastated. She couldn't see that anything grew there; all that was visible to her were rocks and dust. However, through the dust, she could make out two figures, striding towards her.  
  
As she strained to discern some kind of detail on the figures, some of the machine's internal circuitry began to spark, unknown to her.  
  
The figures suddenly jerked their heads up. They seemed to be staring straight at her.  
  
The next thing she knew, the machine had exploded, and she had hurled back several feet. Recovering, she could see that the two figures were striding forth from the wreckage of her machine.  
  
One of them was a huge, muscular looking man--no, it wasn't a man. He was a Super Saiyan. A ridiculously muscled Super Saiyan, but a Super Saiyan.  
  
The other one...  
  
She gasped. The other one looked just like Goku, except for the fact that he had a deep tan.  
  
And then they saw her.  
  
"Well, well, well," said the one who looked like Goku. "Allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is Turles, and my associate here is Broli."  
  
The pair began to advance on her, a wicked smile forming on the lips of Turles. Paralyzed, forgetting her vast Super Saiyan 3 power, Bulma was horrified. What would they do to her?  
  
Wham.  
  
In less time than it takes to describe, the locked titanium door to the lab had been burst open, papers had been scattered in the wake of a strong wind, and a certain King of the Saiyans had delivered a single punch that had rendered Turles unconscious. Another one had taken care of Broli, as well.  
  
"Ve...Vegeta?" Bulma managed to gasp. "How did--?"  
  
"If I've learned one thing from Mirai, it's this: alternate timelines are dangerous. I've been waiting outside the door ever since dinner, just in case something happened."  
  
Bulma staggered to her feet. "I have got to remember I have all that power."  
  
"Yes, you do. And you need to learn how to use it. Now, what should we do with these two bakas?"  
  
"Hang on a second...I think I have something around here somewhere..." As Vegeta gave her a quizzical look, she began to rummage around in her lab.  
  
"Ah-HA! Found 'em!" She emerged from behind a huge pile of junk, holding two pair of what looked like handcuffs with strange electrical equipment covering them.  
  
"By the cosmos, woman, what are those devices?"  
  
"Ki-draining handcuffs. Whenever someone wears them, their power is reduced to that of an ordinary human until they're removed. Here."  
  
As Vegeta attached the devices to the two unconscious figures, he asked, "What drove you to create these? As a backup plan in case something similar to the Majin incident happened again?"  
  
"Yes. That, and...other purposes."  
  
Vegeta simply looked at her. 


	7. Super Saiyans And Survivors...

Turles awoke. He was sitting on the floor, but someone had leaned him up against the wall. His vision was still blurry, but he could distinguish basic shapes. He could tell that there was a large group in front of him, with three of their members at the forefront.  
  
His eyesight began to clear. One of the three was a member of that accursed race, the Namekians. One appeared to be a Saiyan that looked shockingly like him. And one was--  
  
"Prince Vegeta!"  
  
"That's KING Vegeta to you, you worthless low-level."  
  
"My apologies, your highness."  
  
Vegeta grunted. Turles looked around. Broli was propped up beside him, still out cold. The large group standing behind King Vegeta and the other two consisted of some very unusual individuals, including a man with three eyes, a small pale-faced midget, and a large, fat, pink...thing.  
  
"If I may be so bold, your highness, may I inquire as to where I am, and who all these individuals are?"  
  
The king sneered. "This is the planet Earth. This motley crew is known as the Earth's Special Forces, a group of which I am occasionally accounted as a member."  
  
Turles blinked. *How the hell has the King of Saiyans ended up DEFENDING some worthless little planet?* It wasn't until he noticed the looks on the others' faces that he realized he had accidentally vocalized this thought.  
  
The king's glance flickered, for the briefest of moments, to a weak-looking, blue-haired female. Turles was quite intelligent for a Saiyan, and immediately made the connection between the female and why the King was on the planet. This time, however, he was wise enough to keep his thoughts on the matter to himself. They probably would have gotten him killed.  
  
"It is a long story," said the Namek, speaking up for the first time in the presence of Turles, "and too long to be related now. But we are quite anxious to hear the story of who you two are, and how you got here."  
  
"We, Namek, are members of the warrior race of Saiyans, the most powerful race to ever roam the cosmos. As I previously stated, I am Turles, and this is Broli. As no doubt you have as well, I was able to deduce that we are from a different timeline than you. Tell me...did Freeza destroy Vegetasei in this timeline as well?"  
  
The king nodded.  
  
"And...how many survivors?"  
  
"Myself, Nappa, Kakarot--" here the king indicated the Saiyan standing next to him--"and Kakarot's brother, Raditz. We were also able to revive Bardock, Kakarot's father."  
  
"I see. In my timeline, Broli and I survived as well. He had been exiled to a far distant corner of the galaxy as an infant for his enormous power level, and I was away on a mission at the time. After several years, we managed to meet."  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"We considered trying to find any other survivors, but we didn't think there were any, so we didn't bother."  
  
Vegeta was on him in a flash. "Did you honestly believe that a fool like Freeza could destroy all of us? You baka."  
  
The Namek had to restrain him. "Vegeta!" He turned to Turles. "Then what?"  
  
"What else? We fought. We traveled from planet to planet, taking on whole populations at the same time. Being Saiyans, no one could stand before us."  
  
"And how did you end up in this timeline?"  
  
"We had just destroyed the population of a planet, when we saw this strange rectangle appear in mid-air. It appeared to be a portal of some sort, and we could see that blue-haired female there on the other side of it. So we went exploring."  
  
"There must have been a malfunction or something in my dimensional hyperbelator," said the woman.  
  
Turles shrugged. "And when we stepped through, we ended up here."  
  
Piccolo gestured to Broli. "And him? What was so special about his power level?"  
  
Turles chuckled. "You have no idea. He is the Legendary Super Saiyan! You may have caught him offguard, but when he regains consciousness, he will break these puny restraints and none of you will stand a chance! Nothing in the universe can stand against a Super Saiyan!"  
  
He paused. Every last one of them, even the Namek, was smiling. And it didn't look like a good smile.  
  
Vegeta turned to the rest. "What do you say? Those of us capable, let us show our guest. But let's stop at level one, shall we?"  
  
The blue-haired female, the other Saiyan, a young man with purple hair, a small boy--also with purple hair--and a small boy with black hair all nodded.  
  
Then, they went Super Saiyan. All of them. As Turles's jaw dropped, Vegeta said, "Oh, I'm pretty sure that one of us could take care of him."  
  
At a gesture from him, the Super Saiyans all powered back down. The Namek spoke up again.  
  
"Something about your story doesn't ring true. If this Broli is so powerful, why do you appear to be in charge of this little partnership of yours?"  
  
"He's insane."  
  
"Insane?"  
  
"Yes. And it's all Kakarot's fault, here."  
  
Kakarot looked surprised. "Me? What did I have to do with it?"  
  
"From what I've been able to piece together, you and he were born on the same day and placed in cribs next to one another. You cried so loudly and piercingly, for so long, that it damaged his young little mind."  
  
Kakarot simply stared for a moment. Then he said, with a goofy grin on his face, "Oops. Oh well."  
  
Vegeta sighed heavily, and turned to Turles. "Now the question is...what to do with you two? I have a feeling that I already know the answer, and I don't like what I'm suspecting."  
  
As Bulma began to speak, Vegeta closed his eyes and silently mouthed along to her words.  
  
"Well, it was kinda my fault they got here in the first place, and we just can't let them roam around. And we did just finish that new addition. So I guess they can stay here."  
  
Vegeta sighed again. 


	8. Labyrinths And Lunacy...

Broli and Turles moved into one of the new rooms that had just been added to Capsule Corporation. The others--and here 'others' means 'Vegeta and Bulma'--had unilaterally decided--which was rare for them--that Broli should keep wearing the ki restraints, albeit in a modified form that allowed him to use his hands. He was too much of a wildcard to be allowed access to his power.  
  
Turles, on the other hand, had had his restraints removed, as long as he kept in line. Or, as Vegeta had put it--  
  
"If you make one wrong move, one threatening gesture or syllable to anyone who lives here, you do so in full knowledge of the fact you're doing it under penalty of pain. And I *mean* pain."  
  
Turles had gulped.  
  
It was the following morning. The queen had to get up even earlier than usual to fix breakfast for the inhabitants of Capsule Corp., seeing as how they had two new Saiyans to deal with.  
  
After breakfast, Turles went back to his room.  
  
Well, that was the plan. But there's always a danger in someone new to a very large place trying to find one room.  
  
***  
  
Turles cursed. He had been wandering the halls of Capsule Corporation for more than an hour trying to find his way back to his room. He may have been smart, but he had a horrible sense of direction.  
  
Of course, he hadn't dared to ask to ask anyone for help. As it was, they could simply assume he was touring the building, and he could survive with his pride intact.  
  
If he ever found the damn room.  
  
*Maybe I should just go back to the main room and start over from there,* he considered.  
  
Then he realized he had forgotten how to get back even to the main room.  
  
***  
  
After a few more minutes wandering those endless halls, he met Vegeta. He stopped Turles, looked at him, for a few seconds, and then spoke.  
  
"Keep going, third hallway on the left, you can't miss it."  
  
Vegeta continued on his way, a smirk creeping its way onto his face. Turles stood, sulking, for a moment. Then he kept going and took the third hallway on the left. Sure enough, not much longer and he came to his room.  
  
He muttered a few choice words to himself.  
  
***  
  
Vegeta snickered as he continued down the hallway. He vaguely remembered the Turles of this timeline as being perpetually lost whenever they had encountered one another. It was nice to see that some things were consistent everywhere.  
  
A couple of minutes later, he had a horrible realization.  
  
***  
  
Bulma was considering sneaking into the gravity chamber for some furtive training, when her enhanced Saiyan hearing picked up something she didn't hear that often, something that scared her every time she did.  
  
Vegeta screaming.  
  
The others were all preoccupied with their own activities and didn't hear, so it was only Bulma who raced down the halls at super-speed.  
  
She halted at a junction. *Damn!* The screams had stopped, and she couldn't tell which direction they had come from.  
  
For a long moment, she stood there in silence. Then, she heard it. She could just barely make out a small whimpering sound. She crept down the left hallway, following the sound.  
  
She took a right turn, and saw her husband laying in the middle of the floor, curled up in a ball, his back to her, muttering to himself. She went and knelt by his side.  
  
"Vegeta?" she asked hesitantly. He turned to her.  
  
"B-Bulma?" She became nervous. He usually reserved use of her actual name for times when he was gloating about something, when it looked like they were about to die, or when they were having a very...interesting...night. It wasn't night, and she doubted he was gloating.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I...I just realized something horrible."  
  
Bulma bit her lip. "What is it?"  
  
"Now that Turles and Broli are here...I...I..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
He suddenly shot up and grabbed her by the shoulders. "I MIGHT HAVE TO GO ON ANOTHER ROAD TRIP!"  
  
She blinked. Then, she fought hard to contain the smile threatening to spread over her features. "Did you really think that?"  
  
"Yes...please...please say I won't."  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"Thank the cosmos." Then he collapsed again. Chuckling, Bulma hoisted him into her arms--it was easy, nowadays--and carried him to their bedroom. She tucked him in, got a wet washcloth, and placed it on his forehead.  
  
The next day, after he was done yelling at her for treating him like a "weak, powerless human," she quietly reminded him that he had muttered "Thank you" just before drifting off to sleep. 


	9. Training And Thoughts...

With all the new arrivals in the household, the amount of sparring had jumped dramatically, to even higher levels than usual. The gravity room was in use practically 24 hours a day.  
  
***  
  
Mirai was engaged in combat with Trunks and Goten.  
  
*These kids are TOUGH,* he thought to himself. *They're about as strong as I am!*  
  
He suddenly had to duck as Goten aimed a kick straight at his head.  
  
*That's it! I'm going to have to upgrade.*  
  
He somersaulted away from them. Then, before they could follow, he went to Super Saiyan level 2. The small boys halted in mid-air. They gaped. He smiled.  
  
"Come now, you didn't think I would be able to beat Babidi and Darbura by myself at that level of power I was operating at just now, did you? Thankfully, I managed to achieve this level just before they arrived. Now...still ready to fight?"  
  
The kids' actions answered for them, as they resumed their rush at Mirai.  
  
***  
  
Some time later.  
  
Raditz, Nappa, and Turles had just finished a three-way spar. They had just deactivated the artificial gravitic forces, and had stepped out.  
  
It took all of two seconds, if that, for Iroke to latch on to Raditz.  
  
"Away from me, woman," the long-haired Saiyan growled, but his heart didn't sound in it, and Turles swore he saw a small smile flash temporarily on his face. He and Nappa watched as they walked off.  
  
"Damn that Raditz!" said Nappa once the other two were out of earshot. "He's becoming as bad as Vegeta! Look at him and that woman!"  
  
"Hmm..." Turles muttered to himself as Nappa continued ranting.  
  
"It must be something about this planet! Not just Raditz and Vegeta, but look at that fool Kakarot! That mate of his is so much weaker than he and yet she terrifies him! And then Kakarot's offspring, that 'Gohan!' He thinks that these humans are worth going out of his way to save! He even made himself a ridiculous costume so he won't be recognized when he does it!"  
  
Nappa stormed off, muttering. Turles, however, simply stood there for a moment.  
  
*Yes...Nappa may actually be right about something...perhaps there is something about this planet, indeed...but what? I need to find out...*  
  
Then we went back to his room. Well, eventually; he took a few unwanted detours along the way.  
  
***  
  
Some time later.  
  
Yamcha was training by himself in the gravity chamber.  
  
*This should really impress Maron. Of course, butterflies impress Maron, so it's not really that big of a deal.*  
  
***  
  
Some time later.  
  
Most everyone else had gone to bed. Vegeta and Bulma, however, had just entered the gravity chamber.  
  
"Are you certain you wish to go through with this, woman?" asked the king. The queen nodded.  
  
"Then let us begin. We will start out at 10 times the normal gravity of this planet."  
  
Vegeta walked over to the control panel and made the proper adjustments.  
  
"Now, woman, I want you to walk over here to me."  
  
Bulma grinned. This would be a piece of cake. She took a small step ahead.  
  
And suddenly she found that she was almost halfway to her husband. As Bulma tried to recover her balance, Vegeta smirked slightly, and spoke up.  
  
"Now do you understand what I am talking about? With your amount of power, ten times gravity is as nothing. But you thought it would be difficult, so you overcompensated. You put more power in that step than you had to."  
  
Bulma cursed. She could see that this would take a bit of work.  
  
"Sure you just can't teach me how to fly, instead?"  
  
***  
  
Dr. Briefs looked up from his newspaper and to his wife.  
  
"Have you ever heard Vegeta laugh that loud before?" 


	10. Expectancies And Expectations...

Time passed. Not much changed at Capsule Corporation for about a month or so, save for Bulma finally getting used to moving in increased gravity.  
  
Then, things changed, very quickly one morning.  
  
***  
  
The morning started out like usual. Vegeta, complaining about the stupid humans and the stupid newspaper. Bulma, putting on her makeup. Trunks, plotting another devious prank. Yamcha, reminding Maron how to slice her grapefruit. Turles, showing up late. And so on.  
  
Near the end of breakfast, Vegeta looked up.  
  
"Where the hell is that damn fool Raditz?"  
  
"And to think I used to wonder where Trunks picked up that language," Bulma muttered. But she admitted he did have a point. Raditz hadn't shown up for breakfast at all, quite unusual for a Saiyan.  
  
"That woman of his is probably keeping him busy," said Vegeta. Mirai choked and almost spat out a piece of toast, while Bulma whacked her husband upside the head.  
  
As if on cue, Iroke entered the room, leading Raditz. Iroke looked even more chipper than usual. Raditz, on the other hand, looked like he was in a state of shock.  
  
"Good news everyone!" Iroke said. Vegeta rolled his eyes. *Baka woman. Probably something on sale somewhere.*  
  
"What is it?" asked Bulma.  
  
"I'm pregnant!"  
  
The effect was instantaneous. Everyone froze, and turned to look at the couple. For a few moments, there was silence.  
  
"You mean...you and Raditz..." said Bulma slowly, breaking the hush.  
  
"Yep!"  
  
Nappa rose from the table, and pointed an accusing finger at Raditz.  
  
"I KNEW IT! This planet has made you soft too! I knew you were falling for her, but THIS!"  
  
He stopped. Vegeta, Bulma, Mirai, and Trunks were all glaring at him.  
  
"Uh...Your Majesties, I'm sorry, that just kind of..." He trailed off in fear.  
  
"Kick his ass, dear," said Bulma dryly.  
  
Vegeta shook his head. "No. He impugned Raditz's honor first. Raditz, do you care to?"  
  
Raditz--by this time recovered from his shock and looking angry himself--nodded.  
  
"Good. Go get your fighting outfits on. We'll meet in the gravity chamber."  
  
As Raditz and Nappa stalked off, Bulma frowned.  
  
"Does Raditz care to what? What does he care to do?"  
  
"Nappa insulted him, his mate, and his offspring. He's challenging Nappa to the traditional Saiyan Duel of Honor reserved for these situations."  
  
***  
  
While the two combatants were changing into the outfits Bulma had made them, Vegeta was explaining to everyone else in the house how a Saiyan Duel of Honor worked.  
  
"A Duel of Honor is a serious thing. So serious, that the match is refereed by a member of royalty. Since none of you--" and here he pointed to Bulma, Mirai, and Trunks--"know how to, I shall be doing it. The duel can have one of two outcomes. If Raditz is knocked unconscious or gives up, then the matter is never to be brought up again, but the offending comment will still stand. If Nappa is knocked unconscious or gives up, then the matter is never to be brought up again, and he issues a full apology."  
  
***  
  
Raditz and Nappa stood at opposite ends of the gravity chamber, facing one another. Vegeta hovered in the air above them, while the others watched from outside.  
  
"There are only two rules," said Vegeta. "The first rule is that you are not allowed to kill your opponent. The second rule is that there are no other rules. Begin!"  
  
***  
  
"C'mon Raditz! Kick his butt!" Iroke was yelling.  
  
The others, who unlike Iroke could follow the super-fast motions of the two fighters, were a bit grimmer. No one wanted Nappa to win, but it looked like he was going to. Both of the Saiyans had improved quite a bit, thanks to the gravity chamber, but Nappa was still stronger.  
  
***  
  
*Win this, Raditz!* thought Vegeta as he hovered. *Show that fool Nappa that you aren't soft!*  
  
Vegeta sighed inwardly. He never thought he'd see the day when he'd be rooting for a low-level to beat an elite.  
  
***  
  
Raditz slammed into the wall, hard. Wiping blood off of his face, he could see Nappa gloating.  
  
"Give up?"  
  
"Never!" yelled Raditz, lunging forward to press the attack again. Nappa blocked him easily, then socked him straight in the stomach. Gasping for air, Raditz stumbled backwards. Nappa began to laugh.  
  
*Damn it, NO! I won't let that cackling fool get away with this! NO!*  
  
***  
  
Vegeta's eyes widened in shock.  
  
***  
  
Outside, everyone's jaw had dropped.  
  
***  
  
Nappa was uttering nonsense syllables.  
  
Raditz was light-headed. What was this insane rush of power he was experiencing?  
  
Just then, a few wisps of his hair drifted into his view. But they were not the usual black.  
  
They were golden.  
  
***  
  
"Alright!" yelled Trunks. "He's turned into a Super Saiyan! Smack him down!"  
  
And indeed, one punch later, it was all over.  
  
***  
  
"I declare the winner of this Duel of Honor to be Raditz!" yelled out Vegeta, pointing to the victor. He landed from his hovering position, and as per tradition, nodded at Raditz. Raditz, looking a bit shocked, nodded back.  
  
***  
  
Later that day. Nappa had gone off to sulk in his room; he now had one that was separate from Raditz and Iroke's room.  
  
Vegeta had grabbed Raditz, literally, and interrogated him about his transformation. When he had answered all of the king's questions to his satisfaction, he was released, only to be immediately grabbed by Bulma and Iroke.  
  
They dragged him to the couch.  
  
"Now then," said Bulma, "time to plan your wedding."  
  
"M-my what?" asked Raditz, puzzled.  
  
"Your wedding to Iroke. Let me see, how to explain it..."  
  
Vegeta, who had been leaning against the wall, answered, "A damn silly and ridiculous human ceremony is the best way I can think of to summarize it."  
  
Bulma glared at him.  
  
"But if you want more detail," Vegeta continued, "think of it as sort of an official bond. This 'wedding' ceremony will establish in the eyes of the humans that you two are officially mated. I had to go through one of them with the woman."  
  
"Are they a big deal?" asked Raditz.  
  
"I have heard tales of women who spend their whole lives fantasizing about it. While it appears that your woman is not one of those fools, it is probably still important to her."  
  
Iroke nodded.  
  
"It's best to go along with the damn ceremony. It'll make them happy, and they won't yell at you so much. Plus it means that in the eyes of the humans, your child won't be seen as a bastard."  
  
It was at that moment that Trunks came strolling through the room.  
  
"Like me!" he said cheerfully. "I'm a bastard!"  
  
Bulma put her head in her hands and wondered where she'd gone wrong. *Why oh why did I allow Vegeta to take a part in raising him? His counterpart is so well-behaved, and his father is dead.*  
  
"Don't worry," said Vegeta. "There is one element of the whole wedding mess that you should like. Do the words 'bachelor party' mean anything to you?" 


	11. Matrons And Matrimonies...

Bulma and Iroke did most of the planning for the upcoming wedding. Raditz knew he couldn't really do anything, and didn't want to anyway. However, one day he had approached Yamcha.  
  
"From what I've seen, human, you appear to be the most knowledgeable about these things. Just what is a 'bachelor party,' exactly?"  
  
Yamcha drummed his fingers. "How do I explain this to a Saiyan? Hm. Well, on Earth, your mate isn't officially your mate until the wedding. Anytime before then, you can break it off and find someone else. The bachelor party takes place the night before the wedding, it's kind of a farewell to this freedom."  
  
Yamcha paused for a moment.  
  
"Since you know nothing about them, I'll set it up for you."  
  
Raditz nodded.  
  
"Yes...I think that would be best."  
  
As the Saiyan walked away, the human's face split into a wide grin.  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Chi-Chi was washing dishes when she heard a knock on the front door. When she opened it, Gohan and Videl were standing there, wearing slightly goofy grins.  
  
"Hello! Nice to see you two, what are you up to?"  
  
The two exchanged a glance, and then Videl extended her hand. As Chi-Chi went to shake it, she noticed something.  
  
A diamond ring.  
  
In a flash, Chi-Chi had embraced the two in a crushing hug that left them struggling to breathe.  
  
"Oh Gohan! Gohan! Gohan I'm so happy! Ahhhhhhh! My little boy's all grown up!"  
  
As tears began to stream down past her wide grin, Gohan and Videl managed to extricate themselves from her grip and took in gulps of air.  
  
"Yeah," said the young scholar, massaging his throat, "I thought you should be the first to know."  
  
"Now...we're...going...to...head over...to...dad's house...and tell him..." gasped Videl.  
  
Chi-Chi squealed.  
  
"Ooooooooooh! You do that, I'll go to everyone's house and tell them!"  
  
As she ran off, the two looked at each other and shook their heads.  
  
***  
  
After telling Goku ("Alright!"), Goten ("Huh?"), and Bardock ("What, exactly, is he doing?"), Chi-Chi began her whirlwind tour.  
  
Her final stop was Capsule Corp.  
  
***  
  
"Damn!" muttered Gohan as he pulled the air-car into the driveway. "I need to go ask Bulma something, I'll be right back."  
  
He gave his fiancé a kiss, then used Instantaneous Movement to go to Capsule Corp.  
  
***  
  
Bulma and Iroke were still planning out the details in the living room when Chi-Chi arrived to tell them the news.  
  
"Gohandvidelregongetmaried!"  
  
They blinked.  
  
"Would you mind repeating that? Slower?" asked Bulma, while Chi-Chi tried to get her breath back.  
  
***  
  
Gohan appeared in Bulma's lab. He blinked.  
  
*Blast. A little bit off. Oh well.*  
  
He left the lab and walked in the direction of the living room, when he heard his mother's voice say, "Gohan and Videl are going to get married!"  
  
Gohan stopped. This would be interesting.  
  
He leaned against the wall to listen.  
  
***  
  
"Really?"  
  
The three women turned around. Vegeta had just wandered in from the kitchen, munching on some fried chicken.  
  
"Yep!" said Chi-Chi, beaming.  
  
"Why not just have his and Raditz's on the same day? It would save time, and there'd be twice the food."  
  
She erupted. "ARE YOU INSANE?! I'm not going to let the wedding of my little Gohan happen at the same time as that hoodlum's!"  
  
Vegeta finished the chicken and crossed his arms indignantly. "Why not? There's probably not a point to this stupid ceremony anyway."  
  
Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?!"  
  
"Gohan has been living with that woman for about a year now, correct?"  
  
***  
  
From around the corner, Gohan nodded to himself. Thanks to some late night study sessions, he and Videl were able to graduate ahead of everyone else. Afterwards, the two of them had saved up and bought their house.  
  
As Gohan had confided to Yamcha at the time, "It was either stay with my overbearing, overprotective hawk of a mother, or go live with the beautiful woman I love. Not much of a choice, really."  
  
***  
  
"Yes..." said Chi-Chi in a guarded tone of voice.  
  
"There you go. I've really doubt that they've waited."  
  
"HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST THAT ABOUT MY GOHAN!"  
  
Bulma and Iroke looked at each other, nodded, and fled the room.  
  
"He's a young man. What do you expect?"  
  
"My Gohan would never...would never do that before he had gotten married!"  
  
Vegeta rolled his eyes, exasperated. *Does she really believe that?*  
  
"Well, if you want to know, ask him. He's right around that corner."  
  
***  
  
Gohan's eyes bulged. *Damn, I've been a fool! I haven't lowered my ki at all!*  
  
He managed to use Instantaneous Movement mere moments before Chi-Chi turned the corner.  
  
***  
  
He reappeared at his home in the living room, where Videl was watching some TV. She turned up to face him.  
  
"Good, you're back! Did Bulma tell you what you--"  
  
She stopped at the look on his face. "Is something wrong?"  
  
He quickly explained the situation. By the time he was done, she was pale.  
  
"Yes, that could be bad if she managed to corner us. What can we do?"  
  
Gohan thought. "Where can we go, where no one will think to look for us?"  
  
***  
  
Five minutes later, Chi-Chi burst through the door.  
  
"SON GOHAN! I WANT A WORD WITH YOU!"  
  
She waited for a reply. There was none. A thorough exploration of the house revealed that no one was home.  
  
***  
  
"Thanks for letting us stay up here, Dende," said Gohan.  
  
"No problem," said the Namek, "Anything for a friend. You can write notes to your families and toss them over the edge, I'll see to it that the wind takes them to their intended recipients. Mr. Popo will show you to your rooms."  
  
***  
  
Time passed.  
  
The day for both weddings was set. Chi-Chi had won out; they would be held weeks apart.  
  
After questioning Turles, Bulma believed she had found a way to make Broli sane again. As she told a skeptical Vegeta, a curious Mirai, and a disbelieving Trunks, "If Goku's crying as a baby made him insane, then we can just take a recording of baby Goten and play it backwards and restore his sanity!"  
  
***  
  
"Broli?"  
  
The Super Saiyan looked up from his meal. The blue-haired female was standing there, holding a machine of some kind. She pressed a button. Suddenly a strange sound began to issue from it. Broli was paralyzed. He simply sat there, listening. Finally, the sound ended. The female stared at him for a long second. Then, he spoke.  
  
"Ah, thank you for restoring my sanity, dear lady. Am I correct in presuming you took a recording of Kakarot's youngest and played it backwards?"  
  
She blinked. *It just goes to show, sometimes you never can tell.*  
  
***  
  
Finally, the day arrived.  
  
The wedding of Gohan and Videl.  
  
Gohan was the first to arrive. Everyone was already seated when he touched down outside the door, his ki still suppressed. He smiled; he would give everyone a surprise. As he walked through the door, he let his ki flare to everyday levels. He chuckled as those in the crowd with ki-sensing abilities reacted.  
  
He walked up the aisle, noting the guests. There were his friends Eliza and Sharpener, who he'd heard were an item themselves these days. There was Yamcha and Maron, the former of whom gave him a roguish wink as he passed. There was his father, smiling happily. There was his mother, apparently torn between sadness, happiness, and anger. And so on.  
  
He arrived at the end of the aisle, where a tall green individual was standing off to one side.  
  
"I still don't know how you talked me into this," he muttered.  
  
"C'mon Piccolo, you'll make a great Best Namek."  
  
***  
  
A few moments later, Videl landed. She entered the door, where her father took her arm. He smiled at her, but she couldn't help notice there was a trace of moistness in his eyes.  
  
They went down the aisle together. They reached the end. He let go, kissed her on the cheek, and went to his seat.  
  
***  
  
Gohan and Videl stared at each other. The whole world, now and forever, revolved around the other.  
  
***  
  
Later. The reception.  
  
"I must admit," Gohan said, "I was a bit surprised to see you."  
  
Juunanagou--Seventeen--shrugged. "I never miss a good party if I can help it. Good luck," he said, shaking the couple's hands and departing.  
  
"Uh-oh," said Videl, pointing.   
  
Chi-Chi was stalking their way. Gohan grinned. Right as she reached them, they vanished. She looked around in frustration, then spotted them talking to Mirai. Once he had finished, she approached. This time, they didn't vanish.  
  
In a tone that oozed sweetness and innocence, she said, "I'm so proud of you Gohan! And Videl, you take good care of him or you'll answer to me."  
  
They chuckled. Then Chi-Chi moved in for the kill.  
  
"Gohan, I have a question."  
  
The couple looked at one another. They had been planning on this.  
  
"I'll have to get back to you, Mom!"  
  
Gohan and Videl held hands. They began to rise into the air.  
  
"Son Gohan! Son Videl! You get back here this instant!" shouted Chi-Chi.  
  
"Sorry, Mom! Can't hear you! See you in two weeks!"  
  
They rose through the open skylight, smiling and waving.  
  
"By which time," said Vegeta from nearby, "Your question will no longer be relevant."  
  
END  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Current tally of people at Capsule Corporation: Vegeta, Bulma, Trunks, Mirai, Dr. Briefs, Mrs. Briefs, Yamcha, Maron, Pu'ar, Raditz, Iroke, Nappa, Turles, Broli.  
  
I hope you enjoyed this, the second story in my 'Royalty' series!  
  
Until later, I'm always  
-Thanos6  
  
PS And please review! 


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